Southern California -- this just in

'Kony 2012's' Jason Russell: No criminal charges, police say

March 16, 2012 | 5:31
pm

San Diego police said they don't expect to ask for any criminal charges to be filed against Jason Russell, the Invisible Children filmmaker behind the viral "Kony 2012" video.

Russell was dressed only in underwear, darting in and out of traffic in Pacific Beach when officers spotted him acting oddly on Thursday afternoon, authorities said. Police said some callers reported that Russell was naked and touching himself.

Russell was cooperative and "no problem for the Police Department," Lt. Andra Brown said. Officers took him to a mental health facility because they worried that he posed a danger to himself or others.

At the Invisible Children headquarters in San Diego, security guards blocked the entrance. And college-age workers could be seen removing black and red "Kony 2012" banners from inside the lobby. The large banners helped identify the building as the nonprofit organization's headquarters.

No one answered the phones in San Diego, but people could be seen inside talking on cellphones. Some were crying.

A New York-based public relations firm released a statement from the organization's chief executive, Ben Keesey, acknowledging that Russell had been hospitalized.

"Jason Russell was unfortunately hospitalized yesterday suffering from exhaustion, dehydration, and malnutrition," the statement said. "He is now receiving medical care and is focused on getting better. The past two weeks have taken a severe emotional toll on all of us, Jason especially, and that toll manifested itself in an unfortunate incident yesterday."

The organization skyrocketed to fame when the 29-minute video went viral. It has been viewed 80 million times on YouTube.

The video about African militia leader Joseph Kony provoked a worldwide outcry about violence and the use of child soldiers.